Clock



G. cosENTlNo 1,846,950

CLOCK Filed Nov 8, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 23, 1932.

W d, m

I N VEN TOR.. 6% use/vp@ @sezzz'zzo BY u ATTORNEYS Feb. 23, 1932. COSENTlNO 1,846,950

CLOCK Filed Nov 8, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 N VEN TOR. Gc wie/pe @cve/z 720,

BY @dem A TTORNEYJ` Feb. 23, 1932.

G. cosENTlNo 1,846,950

CLOCK Filed Nov 8, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 10 ,.n l t G'zlus ep/ve @olsen zzn o @y *'ys l ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 23, 1932 PATENT QFFICE GIUSEPPE COSENTINO, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO CLOCK Application led November 8, 1928. Serial No. 317,950.

This invention relates to clockwork and has special reference to a clock mechanism requlring windlng but once in a long period Y of time such as once in four hundred days,

L is to provide improved means for driving the main arbor of such a clock.

A third important object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby the resistance to unwinding of the springs is gradually decreased as the springs unwind so that a comparatively-great resistance is exercised to the unwinding of the springs at the time when they are under the greatest tension and thus have the most power and a comparatively low resistance to the unwinding of the springs is exercised at the time when they have unwound and thus lost some of their driving effect, the drive thus being substantially uniform under: all conditions of the spring from fully wound to unwound.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide a novel means for controlling a braking mechanism, the means being so arf, ranged that as the main springs unwind the braking effect on the wheel train is gradually lessened.

A fifth important object of the invention is to provide an improved escapement arrangement for such a clock.

With the above and other objects in View as will be hereinafter apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details ofV construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings like char- `acters of reference indicate like parts in the 1 several views, and:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the clock with the dial removed.

kFigure 2 is a side elevation thereof taken from the right side of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the clockworks.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fi ure 2.

igure 5 Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a top view of the regulator or escapement train.

In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated the dial is omitted for the purposes of more clearly showing the working parts but it is to be understood that any desired dial may be used with these clockworks. The frame of the clock includes a back plate 10 and a front plate 11 which are held in suitable spaced relation by the posts 12. Journaled in the front and back plates is an arbor 13 which I preferably term the main arbor and on this arbor is fixed a main arbor gear 14 wherewith meshes the lateral driving gears 15 mounted on lateral winding arbors 16. Also a lower driving gear 17 meshes with the main arbor gear 14, being carried on a lower winding arbor 18. Surrounding the arbors 16 and 1S are the main springs 19, these springs being of the usual flat spirally wound form and each having one end fixed in the ordinary manner to its arbor and the other end carried by one of the posts 12, Fixed on each of the driving gears is a winding ratchet 20 and each of these ratchets is engaged by a respective winding pawl 21 pressed into rapid engaging position by a winding pawl spring 22, the pawl and spring being mounted on the respective driving gear. Thus the springs may be wound without rotating the driving gears but unwinding of the springs causes rotation of the driving gears and consequently rotates the main arbor 13. On the main arbor 13 is fixed a second gear 23 which meshes with a lantern pinion 24 fixed on a second arbor 25 journaled in the front and back plates. On this second arbor is also mounted a driving gear 2G which meshes with a lantern pinion or gear 27 mounted on the third is a section on the line 5-5 of lub.

arbor 28. VThis third arbor 28 extends throughthe front plate ll and on its for- Ward end is carried a disk serving the purpose of a friction clutch member. On that portion of the arbor which extends in front of the plate ll is revolubly mounted a driving gear Y which is pressed against the clutch member 29 by a flat leaf spring 3l having an opening for receiving the arbor 28 and bowed so that its central portionV rests' against the front plate ll While its ends bear` against the rim of the gear 30. rthis gear 30 meshes with a minute pinion 32 mounted on a sleeve 33 revoluble on the stad 34 which projects forwardly from the plate l1, being fixed thereto. Also the minute pinion 32 meshes with a gear 35 mount-ed ona staff or stub shaft 36 to revolve thereon. Fixed to the gear 35 is a driving pinion 37 vwhich meshes With the hour gear 38 mountedV on a sleeve 39 revolving on theV sleeve 33. 4'lhe clock is provided with the usual minute hand 40 and hour hand 4l pressed on therespective sleeves. Now, it Will be, of course7 realized that the gears 32, 357 37 and 38-are so proportioned that the hour hand revolves once for each twelve revolutions of the minute hand as isthe usual manner. lt will also be noted that by reason of the spring pressed Vclutch arrangement the hour and minute trains may be rotated Without the rotationof the arbor 28 and consequently Without interfering with the driving `train including the gear 33 at one end and the 4gears 15 and 17 at the otherend. Furthermore, the proportions of the various driving and driven gears in this train are such that the complete unvvindings of the springs to such extent as to make rewinding essential does not occur until the hour hand has made a large number of .complete revolutionssayV eight hundred, thus enabling the cloclr to 'tun for four hundred days Without requiring rewinding.

Y Fixed on the arbor 25 is a brake disk 42 and through the front plate ll extends a brake plunger 43 Which has on its rear end a brake shoe 44 of leather or other suitable material, this brake shoebearing against the front face of the brake disk. The plunger is slidably mounted in the front plate so that it can be forced more or less firmly into contact with the brake dislr. Mounted on the front plate is a lever fulcrumy post 45 and a lever 46 is pivoted intermediate its ends-to this post.V To the upper end of the lever 46 is fixed a leaf spring 47 which carries the plunger 43 sothat as the lever is rocked in one direction the bralre will be applied While, upon the rocking of the lever i-n the other direction tl e brake will be relaxed. Y The lower end of the lever restsvon the tapered cam flange 48 o f al cam disk 49 mounted to rotate on a Camshaft 50. @n this cam shaft is also mounted a Geneva Wheel 51 and on the t i vthe Geneva arbor i3 is mounted a single toothed gear52 fern ing le rGeneva Gear and meshing With by suitable means and thus as the Varbor is Winding up the clock the cam receives a s.ep by step rotation until the lever is engagement with the high part of the cam. t this time the springc47 is under its greates tension and the brake is most heavily applied. @ne section 51a of the Geneva Wheel 5l is enlarged for engagement with the gear 52 to `irevent overvvinding. As the main spring unwinds, the Geneva Wheel is rotated inthe opposite direction by a step by step movement and the cani rotates to gradually lovverthe end of the lever in engagement therewith and thus` gradually relaxes the pressure of the bralre on the brake disk so that the decrease ineffective force of the springs as 'they unwind is compensated by the decrease of braking eect on the multiplying train between the spring arbors and the third arbor. Thus-the third arbor has substantially the vsame toreue' under all conditions of spring Winding. c

@n the third arbor 23 is also fixed a rear driving gear which meshes With a lantern pinion 54 on the fourth arbor 55. rll'his fourth arcor is journalled in the plates vl0 and 11 and also carries a driving gear 56. On top of the plates l0 and l1 is an escapement train base plate 57 which supports an escapement train 58` driving v the escapement Wheel 59 Which is controlled by an'escapement lever 60 oscillating under the influenceof the usual spring controlled balance Wheel 6l, the oscillations of this Wheel being controlled in the usual'manner by the regulator lever 62." The scapement train 58 includes la first Wheeel which meshes With the driving gear 56 so that the escapement train is driven from this gear. lt Will be observed that the staffs of the escapement train are vertical While the staffs of the main clock trains are horizontal, the gears 56 and 63 thus meshing atright angles. By this means the escapement train is very compactly associated with the main trains. Y

ln use all three of the main springs are Wound up fully at the start of operations and, as previously described, this will apply the bralre fully. Consequently, as thethree main springs run down the brake Will be re` laxed andthe driving train Will have a substantially uniform effect on the Ahour and minute train the escapement train under all conditions of spring windings.`

There has thus been provided a simple and edicient device of the lrind described and for rial spirit thereof. lt is not, therefore, de-

sired to Vconfine the invention to theeXact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come Within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a clockwork mechanism, a spring driven arbor, a brake disk geared to said arbor, a brake bearing on said disk, a brake spring urging the brake against the disk, a. lever supporting said spring and tiltable in one direction to increase the tension of the spring and in the other direc-tion to decrease said tension, and a cam actuated by the movement of the arbor and engaging the lever to tilt the lever in said respective directions according to the Winding and unwinding movements of the arbor.

2. In a clockwork mechanism, a spring driven arbor, a brake disk geared to said arbor, a brake bearing on said disk, a brake spring urging the brake against the disk, a lever supporting said spring and tiltable in one direction to increase the tension of the` spring and in the other direction to decrease said tension, a cani engaging said lever to tension the brake spring and revoluble to vary said tension, a Geneva Wheel fiXed to said cam, and a Geneva gear fixed on said spring arbor and meshing with the Geneva wheel to rotate the latter in a step by step movement as the arbor rotates.

3. In a. clockwork mechanism, a driving train, and an hour and minute t-rain geared to the driving train and parallel to said driving train, said driving train including a frictionally clutched terminal gear meshing with the first gear of the hour and minute train and a spring driven arbor, a brake disk geared to said arbor, a brake bearing on said disk, a brake spring urging the brake against the disk, a lever supporting said spring and tiltable in one direction to increase the tension of the spring and in the other direction to decrease said tension, and a cam actuated by the movement of the arbor and engaging the lever to tilt the lever in said respective directions according to the winding and unwinding movements of the arbor.

4. In a clockwork mechanism, a driving train, an hour and minute train geared to the driving train and parallel to said driving train, and a braking mechanism normally braking the action of the driving train and geared to said driving train to gradually relax as the clockworks run down including a spring arbor, a. brake disk geared to said arbor, a brake bearing on said disk, a brake spring urging the brake against the disk, a lever supporting said spring and tiltable in one direction to increase the tension of the spring and in the other direction to decrease said tension, and a cam actuated by the movement of the arbor and engaging the lever to tilt the lever in said respective directions accordin g to the winding and unwinding movements of the arbor.

5. In a clockwork mechanism, ay driving train, an hour and minute train geared to the driving train and parallel to said driving train, said driving train including a frictionally clutched terminal gear meshing with the first gear of the hour and minute train, and a braking mechanism normally braking the action of the driving train and geared to said driving train to gradually relax as the clockworks run down and including a spring driven arbor, a brake disk geared to said arbor, a brake bearing on said disk, a brake spring urging the brake against the disk, a` lever supporting said spring and tiltable in one direction to increase the tension of the spring and in the other direction to decrease' said tension, a cam engaging said lever to tension the brake spring and revoluble to vary said tension, a Geneva wheel fixed to said cam, and a Geneva gear fixed on said spring arbor and meshing with the Geneva Wheel to rotate the latter in a step by step movement as the' arbor rotates.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

GIUSEPPE COSENTINO. 

